Kingdom Hearts 3: Into the Depths of Darkness FINAL MIX
by TerraKH
Summary: Revised version of the original. Only contains certain chapters from the original, so if you want the whole story read that one. Contains revised scenes, better fights, extra scenes, and tie-ins with the rest of the trilogy. Hiatus
1. IDoD Chapter 4: The Dark Realm

**Hello, all familiar readers and welcome to any new ones that might have come in to check this out! Just to point it out, this is a REVISED version of my very first story in this site, Kingdom Hearts 3: Into the Depths of Darkness. That story, while far from having good quality, was good enough to spawn a sequel and even a prequel about Jack. If you've read any of my stories, you know who Jack is. He's the piece of fiction that trademarks me on this site.**

**So like I was saying, this is a revised version of the original. Not every scene, chapter, fight will be in this. The major points in this story are the parts I pulled from IDoD and thought they needed the most work on. Other parts will be in here as well, such as extra scenes/chapters, and tie-ins with the rest of the Wanderer's Trilogy, such as the secret boss you saw in the final chapter of RTDoD.**

**Here's the very first chapter that I decided to redo for this story. It was chapter 4 of the original. I hope you like it and can tell the difference! **

Chapter 1: IDoD Ch. 4

THE REALM OF DARKNESS….

Sora and Riku awoke to find themselves lying on cold hard ground. They slowly stood up and groaned. "So, this Master Aqua is trapped here?" Sora asked Cloud, who was their guide. The blonde nodded.

"She disappeared 12 years ago, along with two people I know. One was my best friend, and the other was a Keyblader. He was an apprentice at the time, but as I hear it, he's now a master. Enough, we need to get moving." he explained, finally beginning to move. Sora and Riku followed him through the dark lands.

"Does any of this scenery seem familiar to you?" Sora asked Riku. The silver-haired boy shook his head.

"The whole realm is like this. It plays tricks on your mind, making you think you're going in circles to drive you insane. The only way I found my way through here was with Mickey or through the dark portals." he explained. Sora nodded, before turning to Cloud.

"So, Cloud, how do you know where you're going? Even Riku doesn't how where we are." he asked him. Cloud was silent for several moments.

"I wandered all over the place down here for a long time, looking for my friend. I found no trace of him." he explained slowly. Sora nodded and stopped talking. He could tell by the blonde's voice that he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

They continued searching for the next several hours. Finally, even Riku got sick of Sora's pestering and told him to be quiet. "My feet hurt. I feel like we've been walking for ages." Sora complained loudly. Suddenly, Cloud held up his hand.

"We're not alone." he told them, holding his sword out in front of him. Sora and Riku summoned their Keyblades and stood back to back. They looked out as puddles of darkness opened all around them. Out of the puddles came towering creatures with glowing yellow eyes.

"Darkside Heartless. Be careful." Riku told them warily. Both boys tapped the armor pieces on their shoulders. Now fully clad in armor, they charged together. Sora swung at one's legs while Riku jumped up and shot through its head.

Cloud dashed through the air, killing a Heartless in one hit. He jumped into the air and twirled his sword as a dozen Darksides surrounded him. "Star, rain down!" he yelled. Several dozen meteors went shooting down on top of them. He landed on the ground and began looking around them. "If I know where we are, I'd bet a million munny that we're barely a stone's throw from the shore." he muttered, looking for water while slicing a Heartless in half.

Sora dashed through a group of Heartless engulfed in a ring of fire. He spun in mid-air and sent a tornado shooting through another couple.

Riku smirked as he sliced one down the middle with Way to the Dawn. He spun in mid-air and threw his blade at one that had been aiming a punch at him.

"Sora, Riku! The shoreline's straight ahead! That has to be where our target is!" Cloud yelled to them, still battling several Darksides. Sora nodded and looked at Riku.

"Riku, let's go!" he yelled. Riku nodded.

"You go first, lover boy! Kairi would never forgive me if I let you get hurt!" he yelled, smirking as he shot a Heartless with Thundaga. Sora chose to reply later and began running toward the shore. Cloud landed next to him a few seconds later. Riku caught up with them just as they reached the shore. They saw two figures on the beach. One was a woman with blue hair, and the other sat on a rock and had a black coat on.

"Who are you?" the woman asked them.

"Is that you, Aqua?" Sora asked. The woman nodded.

"Yes, do I know you?" she asked him calmly. Sora smiled slightly.

"You met Riku and I twelve years ago." he told her. She looked at him curiously. It suddenly dawned on her.

"Sora?! Oh, my gosh, it's really you!" she suddenly exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Sora smiled awkwardly as Cloud got their attention.

"Sora, if you're gonna get Yen Sid's attention, now would be a good time!" he yelled as an army of Darksides quickly approached the beach. Sora nodded as he pointed his Keyblade out to the water.

After a few seconds, a portal of light opened up just on the edge of the sand. Riku quickly helped the cloaked man through the portal. Sora and Aqua followed. Cloud stopped just before going through and looked back. He could see the faint silhouette of a being of darkness amidst the advancing Darkside, and he knew only one being of darkness strong enough to have a presence like that. "Screw you, Illusion." he said calmly as he backed in to the portal.

The dark figure laughed from his position amidst the Heartless. "Not many remember me now. I will give you credit for that, wannabe Soldier. My time will come, have no doubt of that." he said darkly.

GAIA, RUINS OUTSIDE XEHANORT'S STRONGHOLD…..

Jack landed amidst the rubble. He had seen the light shining in the sky and immediately had known that Terra had sent it. "Never thought I'd be coming back to this place." he muttered. He looked around him. This was not the Gaia that he remembered. The Gaia he knew was peaceful, at least on the outside. There was nothing but crumbling ruins left under a veil of blackness that hung thick in the sky. He looked over to a crumbling temple and heard someone laughing. "I know that voice. You've gotta be kidding me." he muttered again as he ran in to the temple.

Once inside, he crept silently through the halls of rubble, looking for the man to which the voice belonged. Finally, in the center room, he found two men in the middle of the room.

One had long silver hair and carried a long sword in his left hand. He was laughing evilly, staring at the second man. He had spiky black hair and a black Soldier uniform on. His Buster Sword lay against the wall several yards away. Jack took the scene in for less than a second before he darted forward and put his Keyblade at the first man's neck. "Sephiroth, let Zack go." he demanded calmly, but warily. Sephiroth smiled as he eased away from the blade and turned around.

"I was wondering when you'd come, Master Rikkison. I knew it was only a matter of time. However, you won't take him from me. He's my ticket to Cloud. I've had this fool for twelve years and finally Xehanort has returned. I am finally going to make him a Heartless and bring Cloud's anger to me." he explained, smiling evilly. Jack shook his head in disgust.

"You're insane, Sephiroth! You have been ever since Nibelheim!" he yelled angrily. Sephiroth just kept smiling as he raised his blade.

"Do me a favor, Jack. You have become a master of the Keyblade, no? I have faced Sora in combat, but I have never fought a master. Show me….your power." he said slowly, before suddenly dashing through the air. **(One-Winged Angel, Kingdom Hearts 2)**

Jack held his blade up as Sephiroth swung and dashed past him. The Keyblader was confused for a second, but held his blade up as several dozen lightning-fast strikes hit his blade. He spun around and dashed toward Sephiroth. He cast Firaga and quickly followed up with a kick to the stomach. Sephiroth blocked the spell, but stumbled back a little bit from the kick. He jumped in to the air and put his sword in a downward position. "To the Promised Land…" he muttered as he fell toward the floor. The ground exploded around him, and Jack barely managed to jump away at the last second.

"A storm comes….." Jack muttered as he spun quickly in mid-air. Lightning shot out from all directions, and Sephiroth took many hits. He smiled as he raised his blade.

"Cut, vanish!" he yelled as he appeared in front of the boy and hit him with almost a dozen powerful slices. Jack back-flipped away and cast Curaga on himself.

"Get out, Sephiroth! Go back to sleep!" he yelled angrily as he began teleporting all around the room. Sephiroth looked around, trying to see his enemy. Jack appeared behind him and punched him upward, knocking him into the air. He quickly followed and teleported all around Sephiroth, punching and kicking him countless times. Sephiroth took all hits with no more than a groan. He flexed his wing out, hitting Jack and knocking him back to the floor.

As Jack tried to stand back up, the villain smiled and began to float idly. "Descend, Heartless Angel…I will lea…" he began. Before he could finish, Jack leaped up to him and kicked him back. He back-flipped through the air as Sephiroth tried to swing at him. He threw his Keyblade, getting a direct hit. Both combatants fell back to the ground. Jack charged again as Sephiroth held up his hand, which glowed purple.

"Too late for laments." he said, smirking as a massive meteor came crumbling down on top of Jack.

He smiled and turned back to Zack, thinking the boy was dead. "You know better than that, Sephiroth! You think something like that's gonna kill me? After everything I've been through to get here, I'm not giving up now!" Jack yelled, standing up and kicking the rock from the meteor away from him. Sephiroth rolled his eyes as he turned back around.

"Very well." he replied, floating up in to the air. He began to glow red. "Ruination to all." he muttered calmly as he began to glow with energy. Jack roared as he jumped through the air toward him.

Sephiroth raised his blade to block, but Jack was ready for it and kicked it to the side while spinning. He grabbed the other man's wrist with one hand and put his other arm around Sephiroth's neck and began to twirl. He spun and let go, sending the man flying into the ceiling with a loud crash. Sephiroth flew at him once more, but Jack simply jumped up and hit him with Thundaga, before teleporting above him and kicking him hard into the ground. **(end One-Winged Angel)**

Sephiroth groaned faintly as he stood back. He was no fool, and he knew when he was beaten. "Fine, take the useless puppy. Go attempt to find your friends. You will never get Terra back, I promise you that. While our new organization lives, Terra will be lost forever." he told Jack, spreading his wings and flying away.

Jack sighed. It had been one of the hardest battles that he'd fought in a long time. Zack groaned faintly, his arms still chained up above his head. "I'm here, Zack. I'm getting you out." Jack told him as he quickly cut the chains. The black-haired man was unconscious, so Jack threw him over his shoulder and picked up the Buster Sword with his other hand. _"How does he swing this thing?!" _he thought. He could barely keep it off the ground with one hand.

He sighed as he walked out of the building and looked in to the sky. "Terra, I know you're still out there. I will find you, I promise." he said quietly. He summoned his rider and placed Zack on the back of it, before setting course for Yen Sid's tower.

**And that's the first redone chapter! Did you like it? Was it better or worse than the original? Let me know!**


	2. Extra Scene: Jack Argues with Yen Sid

**Hey! I beat Metal Gear Rising, and may I just say it was AWESOME! Raiden is all kinds of epic in that game, and I enjoyed every second of it. I'm starting my second playthrough this weekend, lol. Anyway, shout outs:**

**13TheAce: Does that mean I did it good, lol?**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: This story seems so old now, doesn't it? I even reread Returning to the Depths of Darkness, and then I read WC, and then I started IDoD again. Yeah, I can't believe how much my writing has changed. Thanks!**

**The Unknowing Herald: I agree, but at least they got better. I hope this shows what the story would have been had I written it now.**

**Celeron96: Thanks! You know what I realized? I went back and read IDoD again in prep for this, and I realized that since AngelicWinds is hardly ever on here anymore, you're my oldest reviewer!**

**Alright, right now I only Jack and any mentions of people named Mist, Jason, Marek, Rayne, or Pierce.**

Chapter 2: Extra Scene: Jack's argument with Yen Sid

YEN SID'S TOWER…

Yen Sid looked up from the paper he was reading as his door opened. He stood up as Jack came walking in with Zack hung over his shoulder. "Jack, you found him!" he exclaimed, quickly clearing his desk so Jack could lay their friend on it. The sorcerer immediately began checking the young soldier for any signs of permanent damage. "It's as I thought." he muttered.

"What's wrong with him?" Jack asked him in concern. Yen Sid sighed as he cast a spell to make Zack go into a deep sleep.

"Where did you find him?" he asked, turning to the Keyblader. Jack frowned.

"On Gaia. Sephiroth had him chained up in some sort of temple. Master, that world is dead now. As far as I could tell, there were no signs of life whatsoever." he explained. Yen Sid nodded and looked back at Zack.

"This boy is in an intense inner struggle with darkness that has found its way to his heart. I have no doubts that Sephiroth is the one responsible. We must give him time to work it out of his system. Until then, he is in no shape to move." he said as he waved his hands over the young boy's body. Zack was stirring slightly, and his eyelids flickered several times, as if in intense agony. Jack walked up to the side of the table.

"Zack, I'm here, old friend. You're safe now." he told him, placing the Buster Sword within his reach. He looked at him for several more seconds before turning and heading for the door.

"Jack, where are you going now?" Yen Sid asked him as he opened the door. Jack half-turned back to him.

"Only half of my mission is complete, Yen Sid. I still have to find Terra, and I think I know where to find him. Or, at least a piece of him, anyway." he told him grimly. Yen Sid stared at him for several moments before nodding slowly.

"But before you go, I wish to tell you something. Jack, for almost ten years, I was completely unaware of the worlds' fate. When Mickey even disappeared into the Dark Realm, I thought it had been left to me to save all of the worlds, a task I am not capable of. But then Sora appeared on the scene, and brought peace again. The next time, he and Riku together saved us all. For many long years, I thought I would never see the apprentices of Eraqus again. But, here you are, Jack. You are living proof that there is still a chance for your friends. It is time for me to tell you something." he told him all this, before sitting down and placing his hands in his lap.

"What is it?" Jack asked him warily. The old sorcerer sighed.

"Sora, Riku, and Cloud have rescued Aqua from the Realm of Darkness. She is among the Keybladers of light again. She is with Sora." he told him. Jack swallowed hard.

"You knew where she was? How long did you know?" he asked him, trying to keep his voice even.

"Since before Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery Exam." he explained.

FLASHBACK…

"Yen Sid, we might finally be close to figuring out where Ven's heart is!" Mickey said happily. Yen Sid smiled.

"Good, then that leaves only Terra." he replied. _(reference to "A Fragmentary Passage)_

END FLASHBACK…..

"How is she?" Jack asked him. Yen Sid could tell the young man's emotions were taking over. He could hear it in his voice. "Aqua…..you're safe again…it was my fault she disappeared in the first place." he muttered, sinking to the floor. Yen Sid stood up and shook his head.

"None of this was your fault, Jack." he told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Jack looked up and shook his head.

"You're wrong. All of this is my fault. When Aqua dove through that portal, I froze. I didn't make myself jump in after her, one of my best friends. I couldn't stop Terra from succumbing to his darkness, and I couldn't save Ven from losing his heart. I can't save anyone…." he replied sadly. Yen Sid sighed.

"You said you know where to find Terra." he reminded him. Jack looked at him and nodded. He stood back up.

"In our fight with Xehanort in the Keyblade Graveyard, Terra's mind somehow came to reside inside his armor. I need to talk to him. There has to at least be a piece of Terra still in there. It's my only lead." he explained. Yen Sid nodded at him, and the young wanderer headed for the door.

"When you return, take Zack to Radiant Garden, He will want to be with his friends. You should take up arms with Sora and Aqua, as well. They need you, Jack." he told him. Jack stopped in the doorway and looked back.

"I'll take him there, but it's not my time to join the heroes of light yet. I count myself not worthy to be in their company. I'll take Zack there, I'll speak with Aqua, and then I'll continue my mission." he replied. Yen Sid sighed at him again.

"Jack, there are more important things in this life than the mission! Xehanort must be stopped, and they will desperately need your blade in that fight! Give up the mission! Put aside the wanderer, and become the Keyblader that Eraqus trained you to be!" he implored him. Jack stared at him, emotionless. "This is not what your father would have wanted for you." Yen Sid told him.

"Do you think I care what Jason wanted for me? He was NEVER even there! I only ever saw him once in my life, and that was when he was dying! He didn't even care enough about me to raise me. He left me to fend for myself when I was barely ten! Once my mother died, I was on my own! You wanna talk about the mission not being important? The mission is all I have now! I abandoned my mission before, and I went home. You know what I found? I FOUND MIST DEAD, YOU OLD COOT!" he screamed furiously.

"Control your temper!" Yen Sid thundered dangerously. Jack immediately backed up and covered his face in shame.

"I'm sorry, Yen Sid." he said quickly. Yen Sid looked at him.

"You are very precious to me, Jack, but remember your place. I am not a person you want to insult or disrespect." he told him firmly. Jack nodded.

"I just….I can't join Sora. I can't explain it right now, either. But, Jason only had one child, and he couldn't even be around for me. I'm leaving. I'm going to the Graveyard to talk to Terra. Let me know if there are any changes to Zack." he said, recovering from his outburst and going back to his normal expressionless face. Yen Sid nodded. "I still have things I need to do." the boy muttered as he walked out the door. Yen Sid sighed as he sat down again.

"That you do, Jack. We all must be vigilant if we are going to survive the coming war with Xehanort." he muttered to himself. He turned toward the other room as a fairy in a red dress came floating out. "Flora, didn't Jason have two sons?" he asked her.

"Why, yes he did, Yen Sid!" she replied. Yen Sid stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Interesting." he muttered.

**Well, how was the first extra scene? Did you like it?**


	3. IDoD Ch 5: Wills, Graveyards, Memories

**Hey, guys! Shout outs:**

**13TheAce: Thanks! I think my problem in the original was trying to make him too tough to see his inner turmoil.**

**Celeron96: Lol, I'll second that! I always love reading your scenes in Dawning War about him like that! And no, he wasn't.**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Well, thanks, I tried!**

**The Unknowing Herald: Lol, it was hard to spell at first, but I got used to it. And yeah, I'm like that, too!**

**Alright, you know what I own. Hopefully Dissidia and Untold Stories will be updated tomorrow, but I'm not promising anything!**

IDoD Chapter 5: Wills, Graveyards, and Memories.

Jack argued with himself as he flew closer to the Keyblade Graveyard. He kept thinking about his argument with Yen Sid, and how he should have handled that differently. He was not one to lose his temper often. His only defense was, the thought of Mist just…..pushed him over the edge. He still remembered that night….

"_Mickey? What's wrong?"_

"_Jack, I….I'm sorry."_

"_What are you….no…..Mist! NO!"_

"_ILLUSION!"_

"_Jack, don't let vengeance take over!"_

"_Shut up, Mickey. I am Jack no more. I am justice, and vengeance is mine."_

Jack shuddered at the thought. He wiped away the single tear that was falling down his face. He looked forward again as he came into the Graveyard's atmosphere. "Who'd have thought that where it all began is where it would all end." he muttered as he landed among the lifeless keys. He looked around, shuddering again at the countless memories he had here: being whipped by Xehanort, the birth of Vanitas, meeting Mist and escaping, only to be hunted again, that horrible battle after Eraqus' death.

He sighed as he walked down the center path, heading toward the plateau summoned by Xehanort when he and Terra had charged. He reached the base and began to climb to the top. As he stood up on the top, he looked at the middle of the plateau, where a figure knelt, facing him. He instantly recognized it as Terra's armor. "Terra?" he called out warily as he slowly approached. The armor did not move.

"Who approaches?" a voice echoed out.

"Your old friend, Jack. You remember me, right?" Jack replied, continuing to approach him. The armor looked up at him.

"Your face…..I do not recognize it." he muttered as he stood up and pulled his Keyblade out of the ground. Jack stopped in his tracks.

"Terra, search within your memories, and you will find me!" he implored the armor. The armor stared at him for several seconds.

He took in the face of the man before him, who called himself Jack. He looked within his memories and found a younger looking man with no scar, but it was definitely the same person. "Jack?" it asked. Jack smiled and nodded.

"It's me, old friend." he told it, relieved. The armor suddenly raised its blade and dashed through the air.

"Terra?" Jack burst out as he summoned his blade. The armor shot right past him and blocked a ball of darkness that been coming at his back. **(Enter the Void, Birth by Sleep)**

He whirled around to look at what the armor was staring at. Out of a large black sphere came a boy. His face was covered in a helmet with an "X" on it, and as opposed to his usual black and red bodysuit, he had a black and white one. "Vanitas?!" Jack burst out. The boy laughed.

"Well, you're not far off, Wanderer. I'm all that's left of him. I'm not the original. When Ventus killed him, I was all that could remain. I'm sort of like a Nobody. Call me…..Vanitas Remnant!" he declared, throwing his arms out and repulsing with darkness. Jack grit his teeth.

"Well, whatever you are, today's your day of justice!" he yelled as he and Terra's armor raised their blades.

"Show me anguish!" the Remnant declared as he threw his Keyblade up into the air. He dashed forward, trying to catch Jack and the armor unaware by teleporting. Jack flipped away, but Terra's armor saw the attack coming and swung his blade upward. The Remnant flew up into the air, and the armor jumped up and smacked him into the ground. "No escape." he muttered as he dashed around Jack. The Wanderer saw the attack coming and leaped into the air as the spikes of darkness destroyed where he had just been.

The Remnant aimed at him and tried to hit him with a dark cannon, but Terra's armor came up behind him and cast Quake. The Remnant couldn't move as he got battered with the massive boulders. As Jack tried to close in, the armor got knocked away when the Remnant kicked him across the face. He turned his attention back to Jack. "Darkness waits!" he declared as he clashed with Jack in a flurry of quick slices. Jack blocked every one of them, but the Remnant back-flipped up and shot a cross of energy at him. He didn't have enough time to block, and took the attack head-on. Jack grunted from the attack, but quickly pressed the offensive again. He saw the armor getting back on its feet, and the two prepared to crush Vanitas in between them. The Remnant saw it coming and encased himself in a sphere of darkness.

"Vengeance will be mine!" he yelled as black clones of himself came shooting out in all directions. Jack rolled away and jumped over the clones coming for him while the armor simply batted them away. As Jack reached the sphere, he held his blade out and dashed through it in one swift motion.

The sphere shattered, and the Remnant came flying out. "Too slow." he muttered as he kicked Jack across the face, knocking him off-balance. The Remnant cast a Thundaga into Jack's face, and he went flying off his feet. He lay on his back, trying to get back to his feet, but found the Remnant's Keyblade at his throat. "So it is I, a mere Remnant, who shall bring low the mighty Jack Rikkison, Exiled Wanderer of the Keyblades." he gloated. Jack prepared to block from the ground as the Remnant raised his blade to strike.

At that moment, he saw Ends of the Earth pierce through the Remnant's chest. In the boy's moment of arrogance and gloating, he had forgotten the other enemy, Terra's armor. **(end Enter the Void)**

Terra's armor kicked the Remnant off his blade, who fell onto his back and lay there, fading. Jack smirked as he stood up and looked down at him. "Sorry, but I can't die just yet." he told him. The Remnant smirked as he coughed up blood.

"Just you wait. I told you that I'm like a Nobody. This was the old man's plan…all along. Now the original will return, just as planned. Your fights….are meaningless. It's already too late for you to win." he muttered, fading out of existence. Jack, although unnerved by this news, smiled as he turned to Terra's armor.

"We made a great team, just like old times." he told it. The armor nodded.

"I am not the complete Terra. I am only his mind. Call me the Lingering Will(_I absolutely HATE when people call him Lingering Sentiment! He's the Will, get it right!_)." he told him. Jack nodded.

"Any news, Terra?" he asked it. The armor shrugged its shoulders.

"Only that the real Terra is still struggling with Xehanort over control of his body. Plus, there is a massive invasion of Radiant Garden happening as we speak." he told him. Jack's eyes widened.

"How many vessels?" he asked.

"Hard to tell. Definitely Braig and Isa leading them, though. It looks like Ansem, Xemnas, Sephiroth, and someone else is there, as well, though. The last one is not familiar to me, but he has long blue hair." it explained. Jack sighed and nodded.

"Thanks, Terra. I'll head there now." he told it. The armor nodded.

"Tread carefully, my friend." it said as it knelt down and stuck its blade in the ground. Jack turned to leave. "And, Jack." the armor spoke. He turned around again.

"Yeah?" he asked it.

"It's good to see you." it told him. Jack smiled.

"Good to see you too, Terra. Once we get Ven back, it's your turn." he replied, turning around once more and summoning his rider.

"Yen Sid, I'm on my way to pick up Zack. We'll go to Radiant Garden and help defend it." he spoke into his communicator.

"_Very well. He seems in good enough shape to travel and fight. You are sorely needed there, Jack." _Yen Sid replied. Jack sighed.

"That's what they always say….." he muttered as he shot through the Lanes Between.

**Okay, I hope this chapter is better than the original! See ya later!**


	4. IDoD Ch 6: Two Stories Intertwined

**Hey, guys. Shout outs:**

**Celeron96: Thanks! It was kind of in there, but not directly said by Jack.**

**13TheAce: Thanks. Yeah, that's right. Watch your mouth, lol.**

**TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Thanks, and yes it was. It was only the fifth chapter!**

**The Unknowing Herald: Thanks, and I'm glad you think that.**

**You know what I own. Here's another chapter from the original IDoD. BTW, is anyone else's FF page a little weird? Mine is really weird right now.**

**Chapter 4: IDoD chapter 6: Two Stories Intertwined **

In a flash of light, Sora, Riku, Aqua, and Mickey appeared in the market of Radiant Garden. Mickey put his Star Shard back in his pocket and looked around. "It seems kinda….quiet." he observed. Sora nodded.

"Let's see if the Committee is at Merlin's house." he offered. Riku and Kairi nodded at him. Aqua shrugged her shoulders, having not been here for over eleven years.

"Whatever you think is best." she told him. He smiled, and looked over to see Mickey already heading up the stairs.

"Can he for once just say 'let's go?" he sighed, running after him. The others were only a few seconds behind him.

BOROUGH….

They slowly opened the door to Merlin's house and walked in. Cid sat at his computer typing away. Merlin was in the process of lecturing Yuffie about something. Tifa and Aerith were talking by the bed in the corner. There was no one else there. "Well, look who's here right in the nick of time." Cid said, turning around in his chair to greet them.

"You're back!" Yuffie exclaimed, running up and scooping Sora in a crushing hug. He gasped for air.

"Yuffie…please…can't breathe." he managed to tell her. She quickly let go.

"Oh, sorry." she told him in apology. She turned to the rest.

"So, this must be Riku." she muttered, walking up and examining him. Riku took a proud step back and did the same.

"See something you like?" he told her casually. She looked at him for several more seconds, and shook her head.

"Nah, not really my type." she replied quickly, jumping back around as Merlin, Tifa, and Aerith came walking up.

"Welcome back!" Aerith told them.

"Right on time, too." Tifa added.

"Sora, my boy, you couldn't have picked a better time!" Merlin told him jovially.

"Why? What's going on, guys?" Sora asked them. Tifa and Aerith shook her head.

"Because almost the entire castle's been overrun by the dang Heartless." Cid explained. He turned back to his computer and started typing.

"Confound it all! Show him already!" Merlin yelled angrily. Cid grunted.

"Shut up, I'm trying to work here!" he yelled back.

"Oh, for goodness' sake." Tifa muttered. The door burst open right after she finished. Cloud and Leon burst in, quickly taking in the sight.

"Sora, thank the worlds. We really need your help now!" Leon told them urgently, his gunblade in his hand.

"What's happened?" Riku asked him. It was Cloud who answered.

"Two hooded figures just overwhelmed the Bailey. We have to go stop them." he explained quickly. The Keybladers quickly looked at each other.

"Cloaked figures." Aqua repeated.

"It must be Xehanort!" Mickey chimed in.

"Let's go get them!" Sora yelled. He and Riku smirked and nodded at each other. The two boys led the way out. Leon looked at everyone else.

"Stay here and defend the market!" he ordered. They nodded, and he turned around, heading after the group.

BAILEY…

Sora came sprinting through the gates and ran out into the wrecked stone hallway. The others quickly caught up to him, and they looked around. All was silent, and they were alone. "Let's head for the castle." Leon told them.

"How are we gonna get in if it's been overrun?" Riku asked him. Leon smiled.

"We had a new guy come in a few weeks ago. He said something about it not being his time to die yet, or something. He said he was a Guardian, so we sent him up there to help. We haven't heard anything since then. He said he knows you, though." he explained. Sora looked at him curiously.

"A Guardian? I've heard that somewhere before. We need to get to the castle!" he told his group. It was then that two dark portals opened, and two figures stepped out of them.

"Sorry, Kiddos, but we can't let that happen. The old man wouldn't be very pleased with us if we did." Braig told them, lowering his hood slowly.

"You!" gasped Aqua. Braig smirked.

"I don't think we ever exchanged names, Master Aqua. My name's Braig, pleasure to meet you again." he told her, bowing low and smiling evilly. Aqua angrily summoned her Keyblade and readied to charge, but Riku held out his hand as the other figure lowered his hood. Ansem stared at him hungrily, crossing his arms.

**(Black Garden, Birth by Sleep)**

"There's no time! I'll hold them off! Get to the castle now!" Riku told them urgently.

"Riku!" Sora began, but Mickey summoned his own Keyblade.

"Get going. We'll handle this fight!" he urged him. Sora still was ready to fight, though, and only left after being pulled away by Cloud, Leon, and Aqua.

POSTERN….

The four ran out onto the postern and took a breath. They didn't have long, however, as an army of Heartless quickly climbed down the walls toward them. "What now?" Leon asked them.

A man landed in front of them, impaling his sword into the ground. Several massive explosions erupted within the mass of Heartless, and several dozen dissolved. The man wore a red robe, and he had a tall collar covering his lower jaw. "Sora, your story goes on, I see." he said. Sora instantly recognized him.

"Auron?!" he gasped. Auron smirked as he raised his blade again.

"I can handle these fiends. You get inside and get what you came for." he told the group. Cloud shook his head, drawing his sword and moving to stand beside the guardian.

"You won't fight alone." he said firmly. Auron regarded him for a second before both men turned their attention to the army of darkness.

"Sora, let's go!" Leon yelled, pulling him inside, Aqua right behind.

"Think you can handle this many, kid?" Auron asked as he slashed through a group with his katana. Cloud grunted, swiping at one jumping through the air toward him.

"Don't break any bones, old man." he replied, sending a shockwave out of his sword to blow apart an advancing group. Auron smirked and grunted in reply as he dashed through the air, swinging his sword.

MEANWHILE….

The remaining three had already made it into the computer room. Leon immediately ran up to the computer and started typing rapidly. "Crap, it's asking me for a password!" he told them angrily. **(end Black Garden)**

"Do you have any idea what it is?" Sora asked Aqua. She shook her head.

"How long is it?" she asked Leon.

"Seven letters." he told her.

"Maybe Xehanort. No, wait, that's eight. Gosh, I have no idea!" she exclaimed. Sora summoned his Keyblade and raised it to smash the computer in anger when a familiar voice stopped him in mid-swing.

"Aren't you good for anything, Sora? The password's "Another." Got it memorized?" the voice echoed.

**Hopefully, I can get the next chapter up sooner than this one. Hope you enjoyed it! Catching Fire's next on my list, then Dissidia!**


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